


Sonic: Revival- Succession

by ToaArcan



Series: Sonic: Revival [5]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic)
Genre: Discussions of Past Abusive Relationships, Discussions of abusive parents, Discussions of gaslighting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-05-15 21:44:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19304425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToaArcan/pseuds/ToaArcan
Summary: The Freedom Fighters are ready to strike against Mammoth Mogul, in response to his involvement in Naugus' coup, but if Sally wants to get the information she needs, she's going to have to determine who takes the throne in the wake of the mad wizard's demise.Meanwhile, Fiona's slow path to recovery continues, but Tails' ongoing issues are starting to boil over.





	1. Upgrades

** Sonic: Revival- Succession **

**  
Chapter 1 of 3: Upgrades **

  
  
“So, how does it feel?”  
  
  
Fiona flexed the fingers of her right hand, testing each individual joint, twisting her wrist back an forth, straightening and curling her elbow. She shook the whole limb about, feeling the heavier weight tugging against her shoulder.  
  
“Feels pretty good, Tails… Not too heavy… and it’s only slightly numb, compared to the real one,” She replied, looking up at the smaller fox. “A little wonky, but I guess that’ll correct itself when I have them both on.”  
  
“That’s right,” Tails nodded.  
  
That morning, she’d been informed that her new arms were ready at the lab, and, under the supervision of Tails and Rotor, the installation had begun.  
  
The limbs were sleek and smooth, but chunkier than the skeletal prosthetics she’d worn previously. They were unpainted, silver plating laid over a softer, more flexible material that formed a sort of “skin” around the internals. The most obvious difference, however, were the small devices on her palms and the backs of her hands, set into the surface plating.  
  
“What exactly are these things in my hands, though?” She asked, poking one of them with her finger. A weak jolt rippled through the limb, and she flinched slightly. “Looks kinda like a laser thing. Do I have laser hands now?”  
  
“Not exactly,” Tails replied. “For all my defiance the other day, I can’t actually ignore the Council and give you conventional weapons. If you show up with laser hands they’ll know I did it, and I kinda live with one of them. But I  _can_  give you the next best thing: Reactive weaponry.”  
  
“Reactive… how does it work?” Fiona pressed.  
  
“Well, I could explain it, but I’d rather show you. We’ve got the prototype set up on the training floor, after all,” He suggested, and she nodded. Tails wasn’t the sort to just leave his experiments lying around, so if the prototype was still set up, this was probably the plan in the first place.  
  
  
Heading out of the lab itself, Rotor led Fiona up to the observation room, while Tails made his own way down to the training chamber, where a large, disc shaped device was mounted on a stand near one of the walls. Charred burn marks littered the room, all seemed as though whatever had fired them had come from the disc itself.  
  
“We had Emerl help us with the tests, since she was able to mimic Scourge’s abilities almost exactly, albeit with the opposing energy type,” Rotor explained, turning to address Tails via the intercom. Fiona didn’t listen in, instead finding her own mind rapidly putting together an idea of her own. If Emerl could replicate Scourge’s abilities… perhaps she could help…  
  
“ _Alright, Rotor. Set it to full,_ ” Tails’ voice snapped her from her thoughts, and she looked through the screen, spotting the smaller fox lining himself up with the disc.  
  
“Are you sure that’ll be necessary?” Rotor asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“ _Trust me, it will. I want to give Fiona an idea of what she’ll be capable of,_ ” He replied. The walrus shrugged, turning a dial up on the console.  
  
“It’s ready.”  
  
“ _Thanks._ ” Tails took a deep breath, closing his eyes.  
  
“Wait, what’s he doing?” Fiona asked, frowning. “He hasn’t got a weapon, what’s he going to hit it wi-”  
  
  
She was cut off when his eyes opened, searing red, shocks of the same colour rippling around his body. His arm raised, a scarlet beam exploding from his hand, splitting the air between him and the target. Both observers flinched back, recoiling away from the harsh light as it crashed against the target.  
  
“Whoa!” Rotor exclaimed, looking down at the energy readings from Tails’ attack. “I didn’t realise he could do that…”  
  
Fiona stayed still, rooted to the spot as she stared at the energy beam. A cold twinge crawled up her back, and for a moment, the glow looked  _purple_. She shuddered slightly, wrapping her arms around herself, closing her eyes.   
  
As the glow began to fade, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she opened her eyes to see Rotor standing beside her, concerned.  
  
“You okay?”  
  
“Yeah, it’s just…  I keep… I keep seeing  _him_.” She mumbled. He let out a sigh, offering a weak smile.  
  
“You don’t have to explain yourself, Fiona. Not in that respect. And hopefully, with this, you won’t need to worry about him anymore anyway. That’s what Tails is trying to show you.”  
  
“Okay…”  
  
  
The two approached the screen again, and Fiona saw that the large disc was now glowing the same scarlet as Tails’ energy, crackling with power. Checking to make sure that Tails was clear, Rotor pressed another button on the console, and suddenly the energy burst back out of the device, searing the opposing wall.  
  
Fiona took another step closer as the smoke cleared, but as she opened her mouth to speak, she spotted something that made her stop short.  
  
Tails was doubled-over near the wall, hands on his knees, breathing heavily as the Chaos sparks arced over his body.  
  
“Hey, Rote? Tails doesn’t look too good down there…”   
  
“Uh oh…” The walrus shut down the device, and both made their way to the door, rushing down to the training floor themselves. As Rotor stopped to grab a first-aid kit, Fiona moved ahead of her larger friend, but as she stepped out onto the floor itself, she skidded to a halt.  
  
The large burn mark on the wall distracted her first, clearly the sheer volume of Tails’ blast wasn’t just for show. But then she saw the fox himself.  
  
Tails straightened up, jolting as his aura ignited, burning brighter and brighter around him, flickering from red to blazing gold and back as he began to levitate. For a moment, it seemed to coalesce around his shoulders, before flaring back out. At the same time, his fur stood up at the same time, flashing to a brighter golden colour than usual.  
  
Fiona felt a pit open in her stomach, her fur standing on end as the waves of power washed over her. She wanted to back away, to run, but her legs were leaden, refusing to move. Slowly, her shaking hands began to raise subconsciously, moving to protect her face.  
  
“Tails!” Rotor’s voice cut through her trance, and she saw the fox whirl on the spot, facing toward them. For a moment, he looked almost enraged, fixing them both with a piercing scarlet glare. But then his eyes met Fiona’s and he recoiled.  
  
Almost immediately, the aura faded and he stopped levitating, his fur and eyes returning to their normal colours. For a moment, he stared at her, mortified, before mumbling a quiet “I’m sorry” and disappearing in a flash of red.  
  
  
“Tails…” She murmured, slouching slightly as she relaxed. Rotor walked up to her side, stopping beside her.  
  
“Are you alright?” He asked.  
  
“Yeah, just a little spooked, that’s all… What was that?”  
  
“I’m not sure…” The walrus admitted. “We should probably give him a minute to calm down before following. I’ll talk with him later.”  
  
“Thanks, Rotor… I think he might need it,” She sighed.   
  
“Not a problem,” He replied. “Say, while we’re here, why don’t I explain the whole thing with those weapons of yours?”  
  
“Sure, why not?” The vixen shrugged. “They’re reflectors, right?”  
  
  
“In a way,” Rotor nodded. “The key factor is that they can store the energy they absorb, allowing you to hold onto it and absorb some more to add to it. As long as you block an enemy attack, all the attacker can do is make your next punch stronger. Of course, as Tails demonstrated, it works on Chaos Energy, but that’s not all. Lasers, electricity, pressure waves from explosions, and, of course, Anarchy Energy are all viable, and a few other things too. Even kinetic energy, friction, the impact of touching something can start to fill up your reserves.”  
  
“That’s incredible…” Fiona smiled, examining the one new arm she had installed. “What’s the upper limit on how much power they can contain?”  
  
“Well, so far, even a full-power blast from Emerl’s Nova Cannon wasn’t enough to overload them, but they aren’t limitless. You’ll need to vent energy from time to time if you aren’t using it up,” He replied. “The controls are mental, though, so you’ll need to learn how to operate them. We can’t hitch the shield controls up to appropriate nerves like Quack did with, say, your fingers, since, well, your normal hands don’t have shields.” He explained, prompting a slight smirk from the vixen. “But eventually you’ll be able to use them as if they were indeed a natural part of yourself.”  
  
“Nice, nice… I like it…” She grinned. “Let’s go install the other one.”  
  
“Okay,” He nodded. “You got a name for it?”  
  
“A name? I thought you guys would have a codename or something,” She tilted her head slightly.  
  
“We do, but it’s not very snappy. You were better at that than us, and thought you might want to do the honours, since they’re your weapons-slash-arms,” He replied.  
  
“Hmmm… I think I’ll call ‘em…  _Payback._ ”  
  
***  
  
Tails warped back into his own home, stumbling as he landed, feeling the last dregs of the power flowing through him fade away. He shook his head as he realised what had happened- He’d accidentally Chaos Controlled himself out of the lab and back to somewhere he felt safer: Home.  
  
His hands went to his brow, and he let out a frustrated groan.  
  
“Miles? Are you alright?” His father’s voice drew his attention, and he sighed, looking over to see both of his parents in the doorway, giving him concerned looks.  
  
  
“I’ve… been better…” He replied, turning and flopping onto the couch.  
  
“I thought you were working at the lab with Rotor today…” Rosemary asked. “How did you get back here so quickly?”  
  
“I accidentally teleported myself,” He replied, putting his head in his hands again. “My powers have been going out of control lately, and I wanted to be out of there, so… I got out of there. Involuntarily.”  
  
“What happened to make you want to leave?” Amadeus asked, taking a seat next to him.  
  
“They were working on the Fox girl’s prosthesis. It’s no surprise he wanted to be out of there,” Rosemary frowned. Tails eyes glanced toward her, narrowing slightly.  
  
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” He retorted, voice clipped. His parents’ recoiled slightly at the tone. “Fiona’s been fine since she got back.  _I_  caused the problem. I tried to demonstrate how her shields were supposed to work, and I lost control… she was terrified of me…”  
  
“Well… maybe you shouldn’t be around her, if you’re going to be pushing her trauma triggers by accident?” Rosemary ventured, and Tails felt himself tense. He couldn’t deny that she had a point, but he also couldn’t be certain that it was genuine… He’d seen her scowl many a time at the mere mention of the vixen’s name.  
  
“For her benefit, or yours?” He shot back quietly, looking down at the floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both of his parents freeze up, staring at him.   
  
“Miles, this  _woman-_ ” Rosemary spat the word, stressing it, evidently trying to emphasise the gap between the pair of them. “- toyed with your feelings and attacked you, and she betrayed your trust to join Scourge. I find it hard to sympathise with her now that she’s the one on the receiving end. And I’m not happy about the idea of you giving her weapons.”  
  
“Yeah, but if she’d tried to kill me you’d be making her Queen,” He growled.  
  
“Miles…” His father spoke warningly, and Rosemary’s retort died in her throat, but he was off now, standing up.  
  
“Fiona is a victim, she was led astray by a monster who abused her trust in Sonic to manipulate and gaslight her and turn her against us, and then hurt her once she didn’t have anywhere else to go. I won’t stand by and let her take the blame for being fooled by someone that  _I_  had a hard time distinguishing from Sonic,” He snapped. “She didn’t toy with my feelings, she just didn’t reciprocate them, and I found it hard to accept that. Yes, she attacked me, but honestly I’ve had a lot worse than that, one bruised cheek is nothing compared to what Naugus did to me. And she’s far from an adult, Mom. She’s fourteen. She’s only a couple of years older than me… and she needs to be able to protect herself from Scourge.”  
  
  
He turned, and began to walk toward the door, folding his arms as he went.  
  
“Wait, where are you going?” Amadeus called after him.  
  
“Out, I…” He sighed, slumping slightly. “I need to clear my head. I’m sorry that I snapped, but I mean what I said. I  _will_  continue to support Fiona.”  
  
With that, he turned, and left the house.  
  
***  
  
Sonic skidded to a stop outside the prison, setting Sally down on the ground as he came to a halt. Dusting herself down and fixing her hair, she smiled over at him, taking his hand.  
  
“Thank you for the lift,” She said, as the pair walked inside. “And thanks for coming with me, too.”  
  
“Hey, nobody should have to deal with Geoff on their own,” The hedgehog shrugged, smirking. Sally laughed quietly, leaning against his shoulder. “Even the best of us can only handle so much unadulterated smarm.”  
  
“Well, I appreciate the support.”  
  
“No problem, Sal,” Sonic grinned. “You think he’ll talk this time?”  
  
“I’m not sure,” Her brow furrowed slightly. “He’s been remarkably stubborn so far. Still, I’m going to make it clear that this is his last chance. If he doesn’t give us what we need by the end of the day, then I turn to our alternative sources.”  
  
“Why bother negotiating with the creep at all, instead of just skipping to asking people who aren’t creeps?” He asked.   
  
“I’ve already tried,” Sally sighed. “Nic has no experience with Mogul’s operations, no surprise since Nack was involved, and while Fiona  _did_  recruit the Destructix for Finitevus from there, they were escorted out for scheming. As for Nack himself, I don’t have much to offer him, since letting him out to resume his vendetta against Nic isn’t an option. Bark doesn’t talk, and that just leaves Bean. And while I believe that Nic and Fiona could both get what we want from him, I doubt it’ll hold up as admissible evidence.”  
  
“Darn. So, is there an actual plan B?” Sonic pressed.   
  
“Of course. If this doesn’t work, then we send our new friends in to do a little espionage, and then make our move once they report back,” She replied, prompting a wide smile from her companion.  
  
“I like it,” He gave her a thumbs-up, and she chuckled quietly.  
  
“Thank you, but let’s make sure it’s not necessary first.”  
  
  
The duo approached Geoffrey’s cell, and the skunk looked up at them, standing up as they arrived.  
  
“Princess, welcome,” He greeted, before turning toward the hedgehog. “Sonic.”  
  
“Hey, Geoff,” He smirked, folding his arms. “Let’s keep this brief, yeah?”  
  
“Very well… what is it that you want to say, Princess?” He turned back toward the squirrel, prompting a scowl from Sonic.  
  
“Simply put, Geoffrey, this is your last chance. Owing to our recent acquisitions, we don’t  _need_  you to help us take down Mogul. But you can be useful in accelerating our progress. So, you can either give us the information we need… or we’ll sort it ourselves and you can rot.”  
  
“Just give it up, Geoff,” Sonic shrugged. “You already killed Naugus, why protect the guy that let him off his chain in the first place?”  
  
“Why should I sell him out if it will do me no good?” The skunk narrowed his eyes at the hedgehog. “Understand that I have nothing left, now. You, Princess, betrayed everything your father stood for and founded this ridiculous Council you now follow, and that same Council got Hershey killed. I turned to Naugus, and he betrayed me and used my body as a puppet, only to destabilise, and die by my hand…”  
  
Sally frowned at the accusation, glaring back at Geoffrey, but he ignored her, looking down at his burnt hand, clenching the fingers. “A hand now seared by the Sword of Light’s judgement, robbing me even of the ability to believe that I acted in the right. I have no desire to help either of you unless I stand to gain some compensation from the act.”  
  
“I get holding grudges against us for the entirely reasonable things we did, that’s been your M.O. as long as I’ve known you,” Sonic responded. “But Sal, the others and I are not the only ones involved in this.”  
  
“Sonic’s right,” Sally nodded. “Mogul poses a threat to all of Acorn, and we’ve been waiting for an opportunity to take him down. If you can provide us with that, then we can keep this nation safe from him and anything else he might unleash. I thought you at least cared about that.”  
  
“The nation I loved died a year ago, and you saw to that,” Geoffrey retorted.  
  
“Its people haven’t changed, Geoffrey. They just have a voice now, and if that truly changes things for you, then I question whether you ever loved the country, or only cared for the crown,” She snapped, and the skunk’s eyes widened, before he nodded slightly.   
  
“Very well… I see you still have your fire, at least,” He smirked, folding his arms as he turned away. “I’ll tell you what you need, but I need something in return.”  
  
“Let me guess, you want a lighter sentence?” Sonic frowned. His back twinged slightly as he looked daggers at the skunk.  
  
“Oh, not at all. I’ve earned my place here. And even if I was released, I wouldn’t be free, would I? You’d all be watching me for any repeat offenses. A man with my connections and skills will always be a threat to you… No, I merely want to see the Princess I remember prove that she’s still here,” He replied, sitting down, looking up at Sally. “Resolve this succession crisis of yours. Whether you place your weak brother back on the throne, or finally take it yourself, I don’t mind. But prove that you won’t be a mere servant to this ridiculous Council of yours, and I’ll give you what you need.”  
  
  
***  
  
Eggman paced around the lifeless control bridge of the Death Egg. The station had already been less than fully-functioning thanks to Sally’s desperate sacrifice, but with the removal of the Chaos Emerald, it had been rendered completely inert.  
  
In fact, not only was his Death Egg useless and his Chaos Emerald lost, but he had lost Mecha Sally, his Egg Beater Mk.III was now little more than a pile of frozen scrap metal, Mecha Sonic had suffered critical damage at the hands of that blasted new robot, and there was still no sign of contact from the entire Dark Egg Legion chapter that had been lost at Albion! Even his salvage operations hadn’t gone well, the only thing that had been found at the site of Metal Sonic v3.7’s destruction was a few shards of the destroyed Power Gem, and some trace drops of a silvery liquid.  
  
  
“Where did it all go wrong…” He wondered aloud. For a moment, he’d been at the top of the world! Princess Sally was his mindless slave, the Death Egg posed a massive threat to any and all who opposed him, he’d managed to cripple another of the wretched Freedom Fighters, and they could only muster a force of three to chase him down, because the rest of them seemed to be occupied with protecting their home from Naugus, his unlikely ally in the whole scheme.  
  
Now, it seemed, he was further back than he’d ever been. Even when he was reduced to a babbling loon, his empire remained relatively intact until he was able to reason himself back to functionality. Now he had no base, no ships, and had taken heavy losses.  
  
  
“`Well, maybe it was the part where you wasted every opportunity to seal your victory by continuing to play your game with Sonic?`” Orbot spoke up next to him. His face reddened, and he felt the urge to pull his own moustache out again, as he whirled toward the diminutive droid.  
  
“That was a rhetorical question, Orbot!” He snapped. It wasn’t really, but at this point he didn’t need the spheroid bot’s sass. His mood was already bad enough.  
  
“`And he gave you a rhetorical answer!`” Cubot piped up, and Eggman raised his fist to strike the boxy machine, only stopped by a pair of electrical bolts striking both of the robots. They jolted, letting out static cries of shock and pain, before falling limp to the ground.  
  
  
“This is what’s passing for mine and Lien-Da’s replacements?” A nasal voice spoke up from the doorway, and Eggman looked up, shocked to see Snively standing in it, holding a smoking pistol. He looked haggard and thin, thinner than usual, but there was a dark gleam in his eye, an air of smug satisfaction. “I’m not impressed.”  
  
“How did you get out?” Eggman demanded.   
  
“Shortly after the power went off, my pod opened. I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and here I am,” He replied, walking into the room. “And I believe I can offer a solution to why this all fell apart so quickly.”  
  
“Do tell…” Eggman’s eyes narrowed. He really wasn’t in the mood, but he was stronger and faster than Snively, so if he could get the little braggart talking, he could rush over and knock the shorter man down without trouble.  
  
  
“I seem to recall that you kept Lien-Da and I around to keep you sharp. Perhaps not your wisest move, but it seemed to work out in the long run. Unfortunately, it seems that, without us, all you could muster in our places was a pair of robots, one stupid beyond measure, and the other doing a poor job of replacing us, since all it could do was mildly sass you,” Snively explained. “Added, you became so intoxicated by the idea of having the Princess as your mechanical yes-woman that you failed to capitalise on having her tactical acumen at your disposal. This empire of yours went from a dysfunctional but effective machine to a cult of personality, focused on yourself, and it seems not have paid off.”  
  
Eggman suppressed the urge to growl in response, as he began to approach the wittering Snively.  
  
“That’s why… I’d like to propose my assistance once more,” The shorter man finished, and Eggman stopped short.  
  
“I locked you in a pod and left you to starve,” He stated flatly. “Forgive me if I’m suspicious about your intentions, given the circumstances.”  
  
  
“I had assumed you let me out on purpose, and was curious as to why, but it seems that wasn’t the case. While my question goes unanswered, the fact remains that you need me,” Snively folded his arms, smugly.  
  
“And how did you come to that conclusion?” Eggman frowned.  
  
“Well, I know that you managed to distract Regina with that Auto-Automaton copy of me… but that won’t fool her forever, and if she were to turn on you now… You’d be in a sorry position, wouldn’t you? You need the real me there to placate her. We both know that you have no answer to her magitek, now that you wasted your Power Rings on Mecha Sally, and lost the Chaos Emerald too.” He explained. “Besides, given your newfound robot problem, she could be a most valuable asset…”  
  
  
Eggman’s scowl only deepened. Truth be told, Snively was right… and he hated to admit that. Still… the smaller man’s treachery was more than predictable, so it wouldn’t be something unexpected, or unable to be planned around…  
  
“Very well, Snively… I believe we have to get in contact with your little girlfriend…”  
  
  
***  
  
Nestled within the lifeless systems of the Death Egg, the molten form of a silvery creature took shape. Its investigation had opened a few more doors than expected, but it would make no odds in future. It had the information it had come for.  
  
  
`M.Sv3.3- ACQUIRED  
M.Sv3.7- ACQUIRED  
M.Sv2.5- INACTIVE  
M.Sv2.6- ACTIVE  
M.Scv1.0- INACTIVE  
Silver.Smk3- INACTIVE- Undergoing repair  
Mecha.Smk1- INACTIVE- Undergoing repair  
T.M.Sv2- INACTIVE- Repair unlikely, determining location...`  
  
“`Ac-ac-acquiring target… locating…  tar-tar-target l-locked… Engaging.`”


	2. Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonic and Sally have a lot to talk about, while Nic sets up an opportunity for Fiona to talk with some of the others that Scourge targeted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will contain discussions of gaslighting, physical and emotional abuse.

** Sonic: Revival: Succession **

**  
Chapter 2 of 3: Heart to Heart**  
  
  
“I hate that guy.”  
  
Sonic and Sally stood outside the prison, the former pacing back and forth as Sally folded her arms, frowning.  
  
“So I’ve heard,” She spoke up, looking over at him.  
  
“I mean, where does he get off, demanding that you live up to  _his_  standards, when he’s the one in the wrong? And I mean, what about putting on a crown or getting Elias to do it makes you more qualified, anyway?”   
  
“I’m not sure myself,” Sally sighed.   
  
“I am: Nothing,” He grumbled, stomping back and forth. “Nothing about being a monarch or the person that put the monarch on the throne means more than all the things you’ve already done for everyone!”  
  
“Sonic…”  
  
“Heck, all those royal types ever wanted you to do was look pretty, get married, and have heirs, and you’re so much more than that,” He turned, facing toward her, face shifting between anger and concern. “You’ve done more as our leader than they’d ever have allowed you to do as a Princess under their watch!”  
  
“Sonic,” Sally closed the gap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, returning the hug. “It’s okay. The crown situation is something I need to resolve anyway. We’ll go to Elias, and we can make the decision together.”  
  
“Well, you’re gonna get him to take it back, right?” Sonic asked, brow furrowed.  
  
“I’m not sure,” She shook her head. “Elias never wanted the crown in the first place. He feels  _obligated_ , rather than willing. It may be better for me to take it…”  
  
“Oh… right…” Sonic’s arms dropped, and he let out a sigh.  
  
“Sonic?” Sally ventured, reaching up to touch his cheek. “Is something the matter? Do you… not  _want_  me to take the throne?”  
  
“I… I dunno… I…” He mumbled. “I think I’m just nervous. Every time these conversations start happening, something puts a wedge between us. Suddenly you’ve gotta marry someone of your station, and I’m just some commoner’s kid even though I’ve spent my life fighting for those jerks, or your Dad starts being a jerk, or wants to dismantle the team. Or maybe…”  
  
“I freak out and demand you stay by my side, only to push you away?” She finished, looking down.  
  
“No!” He hugged her again. “I mean, that  _did_  happen, but that was just as much my fault as yours! You were hurt, and scared, and I was only seeing it from my perspective, I wasn’t thinking about how it would affect you…”  
  
“I guess we both have regrets about that night…”  
  
“Yeah. And...  I don’t wanna go through that again...”  
  
  
Sally leaned close, standing on her toes as she kissed Sonic, pulling him into a tight hug.  
  
“Neither do I, Sonic… I understand if it’s something that worries you… but… I’ve already given it a lot of thought, and I know  _how_  I’d be managing things… I promise that if that’s what’s decided, you won’t lose me, and I won’t try to restrain you…” She replied, resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled, returning the hug.  
  
“Alright then… Let’s go get Elias, yeah?” He offered, crouching down and holding out his arms for her.  
  
“Sure,” She allowed him to pick her up, wrapping her arms around his neck, as he began to sprint for the exit.  
  
  
***  
  
Nic walked into the living room of her and Fiona’s new house, carrying a tray laden with drinks. Fiona sat lazily across one of the chairs, throwing a ball at the wall, only for it to bounce back and land in her new palm. Every catch sent a tingle up her limb, but she was getting used to it now.  
  
“What’s with all the drinks?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at her guardian. “You didn’t become some kind of caffeine fiend while we were apart, did you?”  
  
“Nah, invited some of your friends over for an important talk, and they’re gonna be here in a minute. The four of us are gonna have a sit-down,” Nic replied. The vixen paused, straightening herself up slightly as her brows knitted together. Who could she have invited? Did she decide to take the incident with Tails into her own hands? If so, who was the other?  
  
Before she could ask, the doorbell rang, and Nic set the tray down on the coffee table, striding out of the room. From her seat, Fiona could see the front door, and got a small surprise when Nic opened it to reveal the two visitors.  
  
  
“Bunnie, Amy, welcome,” The wolf-weasel grinned as non-threateningly as she could manage. “You find the place alright?”  
  
“Yeah, Nicole showed us the way,” Amy nodded.   
  
“Technically we’re all supposed to know where it is, ‘just in case’, but I’m choosin’ to interpret that a little different to the Council’s meaning,” Bunnie shrugged with a wry smirk of her own.   
  
“Are Sally and Mina coming?” Amy asked, to which the older woman shook her head.  
  
“Nah, Sally’s busy dealing with the succession stuff and that skunk creeper, and Mina’s getting ready to set off on her tour, now that the crisis is over,” She explained. “Still, you two should be able to get us off to a good start. Come on in.”  
  
  
As Nic turned around, however, a small blast of air hit her face, messing up her hair and blowing her hat off of her head, to the sound of self-satisfied giggling from within the house.  
  
“Fi!” She yelled, and the vixen’s laughter only grew louder. She sighed, turning back to the new arrivals. “She’s been doing that for the past half an hour. Calls it practice.”  
  
Bunnie chuckled, extending her arm back to collect the fallen hat, handing it back to Nic, who brushed it down as they walked into the house together. Fiona rolled off of her chair, pushing herself back to her feet as she approached the newcomers.  
  
“Hey guys,” She greeted, slightly awkwardly, yelping as Bunnie pulled her into a hug. She froze for a second, before returning the embrace, leaning against the taller woman’s shoulder.  
  
“Welcome home, Fi.”   
  
“Thanks, Bunnie,” She murmured, fighting back against the urge to cry again. Once the two parted, Fiona turned to Amy, who looked rather awkwardly at her.  
  
“Look, I know our last meeting wasn’t great…” The pink hedgehog began.  
  
“It’s fine, I understand,” She cut her off. “And I don’t blame you…”  
  
“You don’t?” Amy asked.  
  
“Fi,  I told you we don’t need to do the guilt bit…” Nic tried to interject, but Fiona shook her head.  
  
“Amy, there was a point where I had everything you wanted. I got accepted onto the team without hesitation, and it looked like I had Sonic’s affection too… And then I threw it all away in the worst possible manner. If something like that happened to me, I’d hate the guilty party too,” She explained, putting her hand on Amy’s shoulder. “If anything I should thank you for being the first person to try knocking some sense into me.”  
  
“Well, you’re welcome, I guess?” She swelled slightly. “But… what did you mean about it ‘looking like’ you had Sonic’s attention?”  
  
“Oh, that? Our whole relationship was a sham, on both our parts,” The vixen shrugged. “He was rebounding pretty hard from the fallout with Sally, and that all got stirred up again by Patch’s scheme, and there I was, looking for  _anything_  to take my mind off of Scourge. But it didn’t take long for him to realise that I really wasn’t the sort of person he was looking for, and then to him it became more about protecting Tails… And as for my end… Well, it did pretty much the opposite of what I wanted to happen.”  
  
“Oh… I didn’t realise…” Amy mumbled.  
  
“I imagine it’s not something he likes to talk about. Not his finest moment, and sure as hell not mine… It only made me feel used, and it put a wedge between him and Tails anyway, and I ended up running off with… Scourge…” Fiona felt her eyes stinging again, and Bunnie hugged her once more, while Nic cleared her throat.  
  
  
“I’m actually glad you brought that up, Fi,” She said, folding her arms behind her back. “You’re probably all wondering why I brought you all here, specifically?”  
  
“It had crossed my mind…” Bunnie nodded.  
  
“Yeah, given what I know about you, and what I remember of Fiona, I’m willing to bet that you didn’t invite us over for a fun day out with just us girls,” Amy added. Both cyborgs snickered quietly.  
  
“Unfortunately, no,” Nic shook her head, her face grim. “Rather, there’s something you three, and our… well, I was gunna say ‘missing friends’ but Sally’s technically my boss and I didn’t speak to Mina in person, so I’ll go with ‘ _absent acquaintances_ ’... regardless, you’ve all got something in common: You were each approached by a certain vomit-green waste of oxygen a couple years back.”  
  
“Oh…” Fiona murmured quietly.  
  
“Given what’s happened recently, I thought it might be an idea to hash it out a little… I suppose you can consider it a support group?” The weasel shrugged. “Look, I’m not good at the whole ‘words’ thing, but he tried to victimise all three of you, and Sally, Mina, and apparently Rouge too. And in at least one case… he succeeded. And given where that’s recently wound up… I thought it might be good for Fi to be able to talk about it with people that had a better chance of relating than I do… And if it would be good for her… it’d probably be good for you two as well. You don’t have to say anything about it if you don’t want to, but if you can, please do.”  
  
“I…” She froze up. Bunnie squeezed her shoulder, guiding her over to the couch.  
  
“Hey, it’s okay…” She said softly, as Nic and Amy joined them. “I’ll go first.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Yeah,” The rabbit nodded.  
  
“Alright then, off you go…”  
  
  
“Well…  it happened just after Sally’s engagement to the fake Antoine was announced. I was hurting, and he approached me. I thought he was Sonic, and he was a good actor, until Tails caught us… then I started to think somethin’ was up… Eventually he started trying to convince me to… spend the night with him, but… I refused. I wasn’t ready for that, least of all in that context. He turned the pressure up, but I held firm…” Bunnie folded her arms, sinking into the seat slightly.  
  
“Bunnie, I’m sorry…” Fiona murmured.  
  
“When I found out what was really happening, I felt awful. I told Antoine, the real Antoine, and I  _apologised_  to him…”  
  
“But you didn’t do anything wrong!” Amy protested.  
  
“That’s exactly what he said. He refused to accept any kind of apology and held firm that there was nothin’ to apologise for,” She smiled, straightening up a little. “But yeah, that’s what happened with Scourge an’ me.”  
  
“Mine was kinda similar… It just didn’t go that far. I mean, the difference was that I didn’t need something bad to happen before I started getting interested, but when I tried to get close with Sonic, or who I thought was Sonic, he responded a lot more positively than the real Sonic ever did, and I’ll be honest, it weirded me out a bit,” She managed a half-smile. “I guess I was so used to him not being interested in me that when Anti-Sonic didn’t react the same way, I was thrown off, it just seemed  _strange._ ”  
  
  
Fiona felt her heart sink a little as Amy spoke. She’d always felt that her former comrade’s crush on Sonic was childish and shallow at best, delusional and harmful at worst, but hearing that left her unable to avoid sympathising with the hedgehog.   
  
“Amy…”  
  
“It’s… it’s okay. I know I dodged a bullet there, and as for the Sonic thing, I’m… I’m trying to move past that now,” She replied, looking over at Fiona.  
  
“You are?” The fox asked.  
  
“Yeah. He’s… he’s happy with Sally. And I want him to be happy. A part of me still hoped that one day it would be him and me together, but… wanting them to one day break apart again made me feel like an awful friend. The last time they broke up, it… wasn’t pretty.”  
  
“Understatement,” She sighed.  
  
“I’ll say,” Bunnie added.  
  
“And I saw how much the Mecha Sally crisis hurt him too… We took shifts on watch every night while we were chasing after the Death Egg, and that meant a lot of hours sitting awake, trying to keep myself entertained while he and Tails slept, and… he had a  _lot_  of nightmares. I think he blames himself for what happened, at least partially… Or at least, he did back then. Maybe they’ve talked it out since then, but… Wishing to be with Sonic meant wishing for him to lose Sally in the future, one way or the other. I’m not stupid, I know that’s the only way it could happen, and… well… losing her destroyed him in the past. And I can’t separate the two in my head anymore,” Amy admitted. “He loves her, she loves him, and… well, I’ll be honest, they’re perfect for each other, aren’t they?”  
  
“Pretty much,” Fiona nodded. “Still, that’s rough. Hope you can work something out in the future.”  
  
“Thanks, Fiona. I’ll bounce back, it’s just… I spent so much of my life dedicated to that goal, and now I’ve got to find a new path. It’ll take time, I guess… and until then, I can just focus on the now, and helping smash up the bad guys,” She smiled.  
  
“That’s the spirit!”  
  
  
“I guess I went a little off-topic, but I don’t really have a whole lot else to say… He made a pass at me, he kissed me, which still brings up the bile when I think about it, and then he moved on. He talked a little about the others not trusting or respecting me, but I just kinda brushed it off. I knew that wasn’t true, and he wasn’t all that convincing, probably because the affection thing already weirded me out. I found it wasn’t Sonic, and then… Well, I guess by then he was going after you…” Amy finished.  
  
“Yeah, probably…” Fiona frowned, as Nic cleared her throat.  
  
“Thanks for sharing, girls. Do you think you can handle it, Ember?” She turned toward the vixen, who nodded slightly, hands clasping together as she looked down at the floor.  
  
  
“Like I said in the hospital… he had the easiest time with me. I just didn’t know Sonic that well, so I didn’t know how to tell them apart. When he first approached me, I blew him off. I wasn’t interested in dating him, I was having a tough time around him as it was. As much as I was trying to forgive him for leaving me behind when we were both kids, it wasn’t easy. There wasn’t an apology or an excuse or an explanation, so I just… kinda avoided him…” She began, sighing quietly. “But once I was made aware that there were two Sonics, it got worse. He came back, and I decided it would be smart to confront him about which of the two he was… and for once, he was honest with me… but it quickly just became part of the mind games he was playing on me…”  
  
“Oh…” Bunnie wrapped her arm around Fiona’s shoulders. The vixen made no attempt to resist, leaning into the hug.  
  
***  
  
 _Two years prior, Fiona folded her arms as she stared down the blue hedgehog, leaning against the tree, all but hidden in the shade. He smirked at her, pushing off from the trunk as he strolled slowly toward her.  
  
She considered running. She knew this wasn’t the Sonic she knew, but the doppelganger who’d tried to get close to her using his identity, and a villain with Sonic’s speed and power wasn’t something she wanted to face alone. But, even if she did make a dash for it, he’d be on her in seconds.   
  
“Y’know, babe… you probably shouldn’t go asking that every time. Last thing you want is for the boyscout to know we’ve been seeing each other,” He gave her a lecherous grin, closing the gap between them.  
  
“Seeing each other?!” She recoiled, taking a step back from him. His breath wrinkled her nose, and she fought the urge to gag. “We’re not seeing each other! You’re intruding on my space, and I’ll be telling everyone when I get back!”  
  
“Whoa, easy babe,” He held up his hands, backing up slightly. “What are they gonna say if they find out you and I spoke? You didn’t tell them before, did you?”  
  
“Not all of them,” She folded her arms, turning slightly away from him. If she could hide the right side of her body from him, she could  slip her hand into her pocket, grab her communicator, and press the emergency button without him noticing. “I had a go at Sonic, concerning the things that_ you  _did, and he passed it on.”  
  
“I bet they’re wondering why you didn’t tell ‘em… and if they know we were together again, they’ll start getting suspicious,” He smirked. “We both know they don’t trust you.”  
  
“Stop saying it like that! And how the heck do you know that they don’t trust me, huh? You an expert now?” She snapped. He didn’t expect her to actually believe him, right? How dim was this guy?  
  
“Nah, but you hear some pretty interesting stuff when everyone in the village thinks you’re their number one hero… Especially when you end up in a meeting with the Princess, the wimp, and the rest of the top-tier crew. I know that they don’t trust you because they said it themselves. The mysterious past, the thing with the gun, all of it’s making you look bad to them, personally, I  just think their standards are too high.”  
  
Fiona shifted slightly, taking another step back from him. Unlike the rest of the things he’d been saying to her… he did sound genuine… But that couldn’t be right, could it? Bunnie would’ve told her… Wouldn’t she?  
  
“Y-you’re lying…” She mumbled, and he gave a cold laugh, turning to stroll away.  
  
“Nah, I’m not. But you can keep telling yourself that, if it makes you feel better,” He shrugged. “But when it all comes to a head… well, I’ll be here.”_  
  
***  
  
“Oh gods, Fi…” Bunnie looked pale, and only hugged her more closely, but the vixen shook her head.  
  
“That’s just how it started… He came back a lot, after that. Sometimes he’d pretend to be Sonic, and a genuinely couldn’t tell them apart… Well, not all the time anyway. And he always played the part in a way that reinforced the lies…” She continued. “He got Patch to help too, must’ve cornered him and threatened to blow his cover unless he provided assistance, because the fake Antoine started being a real jerk to me, even more than he was already a real jerk to everyone… He managed to make himself look right...”  
  
“That’s awful…” Amy murmured, putting her hand on Fiona’s shoulder.  
  
“The worst part… the worst part was when I finally worked up the nerve to ask Sonic about  _why_  he never came back for me, when I was stuck in the prison. I wasn’t angry anymore, I knew there must’ve been a reason, and I wanted to know it. And if it wasn’t a good one, I could at least get an apology, right?” The vixen seemed to retreat into herself even more. “But… it wasn’t Sonic that I asked.”  
  
“Oh no…” Nic murmured. Working out where the younger girl’s story was headed wasn’t hard, but that wasn’t going to make hearing it any easier.  
  
“I didn’t know until later, but it was Anti-Sonic. He kept the act up, but, well, he didn’t know what I was talking about. Of course he didn’t. But because I thought he was Sonic, I got angry again. I thought he’d forgotten about it… That was when I started feeling bitter about it again…” She admitted. “And, of course, now Scourge knew my history, and that only made him worse…”  
  
“Oh gods…”  
  
“Eventually, I started to believe him… and then he started really messing with me… He was green by then, but he’d already gotten into my head, he didn’t need to use the disguise anymore… The sham relationship with Sonic was doing a good enough job of making me resent him anyway, and soon enough, I was on his side…”  
  
  
***  
  
 _Scourge pressed her back up against the tree, leering down at her. The breath didn’t bother her anymore- it would be hypocritical if it did, she thought, taking a drag from her own cigarette. The smoking was something she’d gotten used to, despite all sense telling her it was a bad idea. He liked seeing her do it, and by now, that was enough. Something about watching her still dressed in her cute, brightly-coloured bodysuit, while acting exactly like the woman he’d shaped her into seemed to appeal a lot to Scourge, and she was all too eager to comply.  
  
“Y’know babe, they’re gonna catch us soon,” He grinned. The words sounded practiced, like he’d had this conversation play out in his head several times over in the past hour alone.   
  
“I know, Sleuth blew my cover completely the other day. Tails knows, at the very least,” She frowned. “I hope you kicked his stupid butt for that.”  
  
“Yeah, I did,” He shrugged dismissively. “Still, beside the point. They’re gonna find out about us, and then you’re gonna be in jail again… And you don’t want that, do you?”  
  
“No,” She fought off a shudder. She couldn’t show weakness.   
  
“I’ll be fine, there’s not a prison on either of our worlds that can hold me, and that’s assuming they could catch me, which, well, I’m me. It ain’t happening,” He boasted. “So, I can get you out. But you gotta do something for me, first.”  
  
“And what’s that?” She asked, folding her arms. Favours for Scourge were something she’d become accustomed to.  
  
“I need you to commit,” He replied, staring into her eyes with a new intensity. “I need to know you’re on my side, one-hundred percent. Prove it to me, any way you can, and I’ll take you with me.”  
  
“How do I do that?” She asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.  
  
“That’s up to you, babe,” He shrugged. “But make it big. Make it the kinda thing where they’ll never be able to see you as their friend again. They’re bleeding heart-types, so it’ll have to be something that really boils their blood… Maybe do somethin’ to the kid? He’ll probably be the one to out you, after all. And a little revenge never hurt anyone.”  
  
“Yeah… I guess that’ll work…” Fiona nodded, and Scourge’s grin returned at the same moment.  
  
“Great. Now, we haven’t got long, so let’s make the most of our time together…”_  
  
***  
  
“I’m gonna kill that man. Swear to every god out there, I’m not gonna be satisfied until I can put a bullet through his ugly mug,” Nic snarled, as the details of the green hedgehog’s manipulation were spilled. “First the creeping, then the gaslighting, then addiction too, and then pushing you toward isolating yourself from your friends? And doing it to a fourteen year-old girl, to boot? He’s gotta die.”  
  
“Can’t say I disagree,” Bunnie added, eyes narrowed.    
  
“It…  it was all a way to get me under his thumb. The first time we got back to Finitevus’ lair, I found out that he  _hadn’t_  beaten Sleuth up for basically telling Tails that I was a traitor. And he didn’t beat him up because  _he_  told Sleuth to rumble me. He wanted me out of Knothole, the secret affair thing was getting tiring and he wanted me full time. We had our first fight then, and he shoved me against a wall and screamed in my face, about how I’d burned all my bridges, how you’d never accept me back after I hurt Tails…” Fiona’s shoulders shook, as Nic strode over, flopping onto the couch between her and Amy as she pulled the vixen into a second hug. “Even the cigarettes were a weapon. He controlled the supply. And if he ever caught me with a lighter of my own… At first, he just shouted, but later on, he… he...”  
  
“He burned you with it, didn’t he?” Nic asked, flatly, and Fiona could only nod, much to the horror of her two friends. “Yeah… thought I recognised those scars…”  
  
“You haven’t been smoking since you came back, though…” Amy spoke up. “When did you stop?”  
  
“Zone Jail, thanks to the wonders of their medical teams.” Fiona replied. “Given my… damages, I was on pills while I was in there, to calm my nerves. They also managed to get me off cigarettes, since those weren’t allowed, of course. And we didn’t really have time to get more en route to the castle, once we were back on Moebius.”  
  
“Well, there’s a silver lining, at least…” Amy ventured, earning a weak nod in response.   
  
“Yeah…” Fiona sighed. “I think the worst part is that I stayed for so long.  Especially now that I know you guys would probably have accepted me back…”  
  
“Well… he can’t hurt you anymore. Not with all of us around,” Bunnie squeezed her shoulders.   
  
“And if he tries, we’ll make sure he doesn’t see another sunrise,” Nic added.   
  
  
***  
  
In the Secret Freedom Fighters’ bunker, Silver stood alone in his room. His work was done. The ‘traitor’ had been stopped, and the future was safe… he could go home.  
  
He’d said his goodbyes to his friends, and he was at last ready to go. Holding up his Time Stone, he closed his eyes, channeling his powers into it.  
  
“Chronos Control!” He shouted, looking up, expecting a brilliant golden glow, followed by the accelerated rush of everything moving forward faster and faster, until it melted into a blur that would hopefully clear to reveal a safe and bright future.  
  
Nothing happened.   
  
No flash, no blur, nothing. The Time Stone failed to ignite, and as he lowered it again, looking closely at it, he saw something that both confused and terrified him: The glowing gemstone was fading, turning into a dull grey rock.  
  
Silver stared at the inert Time Stone in shock. He shook it for a second, immediately stopping and kicking himself internally.  _Of course that wouldn’t work._  Still, for whatever reason… his Time Stone, his only way home, was dead.  
  
He was trapped.  
  
***  
  
 _In the space between spaces, the world between worlds, far in the lowest abyss of all reality, ancient yet ageless machines stirred, the cogs of a lock both older and younger than time itself ground against each other, mechanisms long-dormant and never-used groaning into life.  
  
Seven crystalline chains bound the lock in place, keeping it from opening, each a separate colour, shining brilliantly in the empty space of oblivion. But, as the lock strained once more, one of the chains, bright gold, cracked. It faded, turning grey, and shattered.  
  
The thing inside the Paradox Lock opened one eye, and entropy itself shook._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure everyone in this chapter needs a hug.


	3. Lineage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonic and Sally head off to meet Elias to discuss the future of their home, and discover Silver's situation as well.
> 
> Meanwhile, Tails needs to blow off some steam, and Shard has some unfortunate news to face.

** Sonic: Revival- Succession  
**

**Chapter 3 of 3: Lineage**  
  
  
Finding Elias’ abode wasn’t hard, but Sonic insisted on taking the long way there. Really, it only made a difference of about a minute or so when travelling with the legendary Blue Blur, though, so Sally was more than willing to indulge him.  
  
“We’ll have to go back the scenic route,” The hedgehog seemed to be thinking aloud.  
  
“I thought this  _was_  the scenic route?” Sally asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.  
  
“Nah, this is the long route, that’s different,” He replied, flashing her an easy smile before refocusing on the road ahead. “I’ve been this way a couple times, just in the area, and I know some pretty good spots. I thought that, once we’re done with the whole succession talk bit, I could share a couple of them with you.”  
  
  
Sally smiled up at Sonic, hugging him tighter, warmth flooding through her. Sonic wasn’t really the sort of person that indulged in grand romantic gestures, but he was thoughtful during his long, exploratory runs, and his spontaneous nature lent itself to many a spur-of-the-moment date.  
  
At first, his untameable nature made him difficult to keep up with, and it had frustrated her. She’d been raised in a world of rules and order, pushed by her guardians and her family to follow along as expected, groomed for a role she was born to fill, a planned destiny that both pushed her onwards in the war with Robotnik, and intimidated her once the madman died, and she was forced under the yoke of her father.  
  
Sonic’s reckless, wild attitude had soon become her escape, a relief that eased her stress and soothed her anxiety. He brought a much-needed levity to her life, and helped her bear the weight of the world- something he took in stride much better than she had managed, perhaps because he chose to stand and fight, where she was forced. She had no doubt that she would’ve chosen to fight if it  _had_  been a choice, but being obligated added pressure that she struggled with. In many ways, he kept her sane.  
  
They soon arrived at Elias’ home, and knocked on the door. After a few moments, the door opened slightly, and Megan’s face peaked through the crack.  
  
“Sally, Sonic!” She beamed. “Hold on, let me just get the chain off.”  
  
The door closed for a moment, before opening wide, and the squirrel stepped out, throwing her arms around her sister-in-law. Sally quickly returned the hug.  
  
“I’m so glad you’re okay, Sally,” Megan said softly. They hadn’t seen each other since before the Mecha Sally crisis, and the elder squirrel had evidently missed her sister.   
  
“Thank you,” She replied, as they parted. “How are you?”  
  
“I’m fine, I’ve just been enjoying the vacation time,” Megan smiled. “With Naugus gone, Elias and I have been able to relax, and we’re taking the opportunity to do so before we have to return to the city. Please, come in. Elias is talking with his friend at the moment, but I think they’re winding down.”  
  
“Friend?” Sonic asked, as the trio headed into the house, Sonic wiping his shoes on the doormat.  
  
“Yes, that grey hedgehog he worked with for a while, Silver? He turned up about an hour ago,” She replied. “He looked rather distressed, and wanted to talk to him in private… So I assume it has something to do with that secret operation of theirs.”  
  
“Oh… well, hope he’s okay…” Sonic mused. “Y’know, now that his appearances aren’t accompanied by the looming question of which of us he’s going to attack next, I’m starting to like the kid.”  
  
“Sonic, he’s two years younger than us at most,” Sally smirked slightly.   
  
“Not the point,” He shrugged.   
  
  
Megan led them inside, and Sally glanced over to her partner as they walked. Even if Elias had been within walking distance for her, she would still have asked Sonic to join her. Her looming conversation with her brother held heavy questions for her future, and now that was something she couldn’t imagine Sonic not being a part of. They needed each other, and a momentous decision like this could not be undertaken without the both of them there.  
  
By the end of the day, either Sally would be Queen, or she would no longer be Elias’ heir.  
  
  
***  
  
“Nicole, do you know where Sonic is?” Tails asked. The fox had perched himself atop a building near his home in the aftermath of his outburst. Given what had happened, perhaps now was the time for that talk with his friend.  
  
“I’m afraid Sonic is not currently present, Tails,” The lynx answered, appearing beside him. “He and Sally left to meet with Elias about half an hour ago. I can contact them if you like?”  
  
Tails let out a sigh, shaking his head. He had terrible timing.  
  
“No, this sort of thing needs to be dealt with in person. Thank you for the offer, though,” He managed a small smile. “Do you know when they’ll be back?”  
  
“I’m not sure, I’m afraid. Can I help at all? I might not be able to handle whatever it is that’s troubling you, but I can at least be a good listener,” She offered.  
  
“Thanks, but no thanks. This is kinda between me and him,” He replied.   
  
“Well, alright. But if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”  
  
“Yeah, everywhere,” He laughed. Nicole almost believed it was genuine.  
  
“Not quite anymore, but yes. If you need me, and you’re in the city, I’ll hear you, yes,” She smiled back. “Whatever’s wrong, we’re all here for you, Tails.”  
  
“Thanks, Nicole…”  
  
  
Once the lynx AI departed, Tails sighed, dropping back to the ground. He began to trudge toward the lab, already starting to loosen up his limbs. If he couldn’t talk about his problems, after all, he could at least get some quality venting done. Preferably without terrifying anyone that he cared about.  
  
As he arrived, however, he found the training floor occupied. Rotor and Chuck stood in the observation room, while Emerl squared off with Shard in the arena itself. He headed quickly up the stairs, his plans scuppered, but his curiosity piqued. Sure, he wouldn’t be getting the release he wanted, but for now, his ever-present need to know more overwrote that.  
  
“Hey guys,” He greeted, drawing the attention of his colleagues. “What’s going on?”  
  
“Oh, hi Tails,” Rotor turned to face him, his focused, pensive look giving way to a smile as he did so.   
  
“We’re running a few tests on Shard. After his fight with Metal Sonic, we’re trying to see how much the crack in his Power Gem is going to affect him in future,” Chuck answered his second question, shifting his position to make room for Tails at the control panel.  
  
He looked out over the floor, where Shard was springing back from a brutal downward punch. He landed hard, as Emerl recovered quickly, pressing her attack. Tails immediately recognised the style as Mecha Sonic’s.  
  
Shard opened fire with his cannon arm, but Emerl rolled up, bouncing the shots off of her bladed shell as she revved up, spearing toward and bowling him off his feet. She looped around, racing back toward Shard, who flipped himself to the side, just avoiding the returning Gizoid.   
  
He pushed himself back to his feet as Emerl uncurled, screeching to a halt as her engines fired to halt her.  
  
“You up for more, or do you wanna take a break?” The Gizoid asked.  
  
“Let’s stop… this thing’s starting to hurt…” He replied, shaking his head, his optics returning to their green colour. Nodding, she approached, and teleported them both up to the observation room. “Oh, hey Tails.”  
  
“Hi Shard, Emerl,” The fox smiled back, but it looked hollow. The robotic hedgehog’s face fell, and he looked down.  
  
“Well… that’s not a good sign,” He sighed.  
  
  
Tails was about to protest that his mood was unrelated to the tests, when Rotor spoke up.  
  
“Tails only just got here, but… the results weren’t promising,” He admitted. Emerl’s eyes shot toward the walrus, alarmed, as Chuck bit his lip, walking toward the two robots.  
  
“Well… hit me. How bad is it?” He asked, as the old hedgehog put his hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Shard… we… we can’t fix you,” He admitted. The mechanical hedgehog recoiled, twisting away from him.  
  
“What do you mean? What’s wrong, what needs fixing?!” He demanded.  
  
“When you fought Metal Sonic, he badly damaged the Power Gem,” Rotor replied, managing to remain calm.  
  
“Yeah, I know that, I almost died! But you guys put me back together, right? I just need the energy to come back…” He frowned, folding his arms.  
  
“I’m afraid it isn’t that simple…” Chuck didn’t meet Shard’s optics.   
  
“The damage to the gem is something we can’t fix, and that’s the root of more than one problem for you. It’s leaking, fortunately at a slower rate than it recovers, but not by much. And in a combat situation, you burn it out quickly. That’s why you’re so tired now,” Rotor went on. “Additionally… it- the crack, I mean- has visibly gotten bigger since you went in.”  
  
“I thought I saw that… it was when you were pushing yourself in our last fight,” Emerl added, stroking her chin.   
  
“So what, I can’t fight anymore?” Shard pressed.  
  
“You can, just… not for very long. And if you push past your limit you’re going to worsen your condition…” Tails cut in. “Right?”  
  
“Essentially, yes,” Rotor nodded.  
  
“Well… just… put him into a new body?” Emerl shrugged, tilting her head. “That’s one of the advantages of being a robot, right?”  
  
“Normally, yes, but it’s not that simple with me…” Shard answered, quietly, tapping his fingers against the Power Gem. “This  _is_  me. It’s my heart and mind. The damaged part is the one single piece of me that’s vital to me, well… being me.”  
  
“If it’s so important, why is it just… exposed?” She frowned. “My body is three thousand years old and  _I_  don’t have my core sitting in the open air where anyone can just attack it! Gods, I knew Eggman’s designs were bad but I didn’t realise they were this bad!”  
  
“Technically, I wasn’t built by Eggman. I’m a Robotnik creation,” Shard corrected.  
  
“There’s a difference?” She tilted her head, before her eyes widened and she nodded. “Oh, right. That.”  
  
“Also, the Power Gem kinda got stuck in my chest by accident, and now it’s pretty much fused in there. My chestplate is actually from my previous body,” He added.  
  
“Well, why not at least put some armour over it?” Emerl asked.  
  
“Power Gems aren’t like Chaos Emeralds, Emerl,” Tails replied. “They’re artificial, created by the original Robotnik. That’s probably why Shard’s consciousness was able to write itself into one. They’re compatible technology. Unlike the Emeralds, or my synthetic, they don’t create power, they store it. Robotnik always lacked the means to spark an Emerald to life, I ignited mine with my own powers, when I had better control over them, all he was able to do was absorb Chaos radiation from the atmosphere and fuse it into his creations.”  
  
“Because of how they work, Power Gems need to be exposed to Mobius’ atmosphere to recharge,” Shard nodded along with Tails explanation.  
  
“In essence, if Shard’s chest were armoured, he would be in much the same situation he is now, unable to fight for long periods of time before running out of power. He’d recharge faster, but he’d need to ditch the chestplate to do it,” Chuck sighed.   
  
“So… is there nothing you can do?” Emerl asked, glancing over at her new friend as he sat down in one of the chairs. “If you made a synthetic Emerald, surely you can rig something up with the Power Gem!”  
  
“They’re… not the same, and I can’t even make the synthetic Emeralds anymore. Not the way I currently am. I can certainly try, but I can’t promise results. For now we should focus on building a newer, more energy-efficient body. That should mitigate the power issues you’re facing, and let you get back into the field fairly soon,” Tails explained.  
  
  
Shard sighed, and looked up at the group.  
  
“Guys… it’s okay. I probably should’ve died twice over by now. If fighting for everyone else means my life is gonna be shorter… I’m okay with that,” He said.  
  
“No,” Emerl shook her head. “Don’t get all maudlin with us, we’ll get that new body made and you’ll be be okay. Right?”  
  
“Right,” Tails nodded.   
  
  
***  
  
Sally sat down opposite her brother, Sonic by her side, Megan by Elias’. Greetings were dealt with, and Silver had volunteered to watch Alexis while they were talking, so the four of them were now alone, and hopefully uninterrupted.  
  
“We have to decide what we’re going to do about the throne,” Sally stated, bluntly. “We can’t spin wheels on this any longer.”  
  
“Agreed,” Elias nodded. “So we need to determine which of us will take it…”  
  
“Exactly,” She replied.  
  
  
“Do… either of you actually want it?” Megan asked, frowning slightly. The siblings paused, glancing toward her for a moment, and sighed. “I thought not.”  
  
“It’s… never really been my ambition,” Elias admitted. “I ran away for a reason…”  
  
“I wish I could say otherwise…” Sally looked down. “But… as much as I tried my hardest to be a good heir, Father made it something to dread. When it was just us against the original Robotnik, I fought to bring back the Acorn Kingdom, and I understood that I was supposed to be its new leader. It was my goal, but…”  
  
“Your dad came back, and everything got… complicated,” Sonic finished, folding his arms.  
  
“Yes. Everything that’s happened… it made me fear the idea of becoming Queen, with you by my side or not,” She turned toward Sonic, reaching out to take his hand. “You were right before, my royal duties have always been a harbinger for hardship, both between you and me, and myself and all of our friends. It’s… why I helped set up the Council.”  
  
“I suspected that might be the case,” Elias sighed. “I’ll be honest, I agreed with a lot of what Amadeus said too, it was Father’s pressure on me that prompted me to fight back as hard as I did… Though, I cannot say that the results have been fruitful, at the time… I hoped it would be something that would allow us to finally dismantle the hereditary system.”  
  
“Who leads Acorn should fall to the one most capable, not just whoever was born into it,” Sally nodded. “There have been many kings who failed their people, and…  Father was one of them.”  
  
“Yeah, he was a mediocre king and… well, let’s just say a  _lacking_  dad,” Sonic frowned.   
  
“He was abusive,” The princess stated flatly, and Sonic blinked, surprised. She glanced at him, and raised an eyebrow. “You’re shocked?”  
  
“Well, no, I just… didn’t expect you to say it…” He shrugged. “I mean, I got the sense that it might be him you were talking about when you told Fi that you knew abuse, but…”  
  
“It look a long time for me to accept it… even longer to open up, but… yes. He emotionally abused me, manipulated my emotions, and lied, both intentionally and by omission, in order to control me and mold me into the daughter he wanted, rather than the daughter he got,” She squeezed his hand, leaning against his shoulder. “And… for a while, it worked. I was basically his puppet. I’d get angry about something, but then he’d find a way to make me feel like I was being unreasonable, and eventually I just… started going along with it. At one point I even tried to rationalise him ordering the Robians destroyed, when I  _knew_  Naugus was to blame!”  
  
“Jeesh, Sal… I didn’t realise it was that bad…” Sonic wrapped his arms around Sally, pulling her into a gentle hug.   
  
“It… it wasn’t something I was comfortable talking about,” She replied, looking over at her brother. “But… I’m willing to bet that I wasn’t the only one to get such treatment.”  
  
  
“You’d win that bet,” Elias nodded. “I never got anything nearly as bad as that, but… I still fear that the pressures of the crown will turn me into the same sort of father that he was. The thought of treating Alexis the way he treated us…”  
  
He shuddered, and Megan hugged him, leaning against his shoulder.  
  
“You never would, Elias. I know you wouldn’t,” She smiled, before she frowned, looking over at the other couple. “So, where does this leave us? Neither of you want the crown, but we wouldn’t be having this conversation if you didn’t both feel obligated to it.”  
  
“Precisely,” Sally nodded. “I had hoped that instituting the Council would allow us to progress toward having a fully elected leader, but… Rosemary’s ambition, coupled with her clear disconnect from the world, worries me. I trust Hamlin about as far as I can throw him, and Dylan and Penelope have basically become the former duo’s stooges. I haven’t seen much of Isabella yet, but she’s at least reasonable… which makes her and Sir Charles the only ones I can trust.”  
  
“You summed it up rather nicely,” The older sibling sighed.  
  
“For an organisation that was demanded by the Prowers in response to our father’s failures, their recent one-upping of one of his biggest mistakes leaves a lot to be desired. I can’t in good conscience leave our people under their care,” The Princess gritted her teeth.  
  
“Well… they’re not going to be in power forever, right? A couple more years and they’ll be out. I can’t see many of ‘em getting re-elected,” Sonic shrugged. “And you’re both gonna live a lot longer than that. You guys wanna change the system so neither Sal or Alexis has to worry about taking over from Elias… so do it. This Council aren’t going to be the ones in charge when you two get too old to rule.”  
  
“That… isn’t bad,” Elias replied. “What do you think, Sally?”  
  
“It’s viable, yes… there’s no guarantee that the next Council will be better, but…”  
  
“It would be hard for them to be worse,” Megan cut in.   
  
“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Sonic grinned.   
  
“That still leaves the question of who takes the throne in the meantime,” Sally frowned.   
  
  
“I’ll take it,” Elias spoke up. “Given what we’ve discussed, I think the role will hold less stress for me than it will you, Sally. Father has made this a burden rather than an honour for us both, but you’ve had the worst of it.”  
  
“Are you sure, Elias?” Sally asked.  
  
“Yes, I am. Besides, your team needs you. Mine is all but dissolved now that Naugus is gone. It wouldn’t be fair for me to stay here while you tried to run both the country and the Freedom Fighters,” He answered.   
  
“Thank you,” She got up, hugging her brother.  
  
“It’s no problem,” He replied, returning it. “Now that that’s settled, I think you two need to hear Silver’s story. It’s… worrying.”  
  
“Oh great,” Sonic sighed. “Alright, let’s go see him,”  
  
***  
  
As the group filed out of the room, they found Silver seated on the floor, using his powers to levitate a toy plane in front of Alexis, steering it as though it were actually flying, much to the child’s delight. Sonic couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, having seen Silver threaten to kill him, and several of his friends, and even try to on several occasions, as well as having the power to briefly immobilise him, Shadow, Amy, Metal Sonic and Scourge, all at once. Seeing him use them to entertain Alexis was, frankly, surreal.  
  
Still, as the hedgehog stood up to explain what had happened, Megan swooping in to take care of her daughter, his face turned grim.  
  
“I can’t go home,” He said, simply.  
  
“What do you mean?” Sonic asked, folding his arms.  
  
“I mean my Time Stone has stopped working. I tried to use it to return to my time, but it just… died. It turned grey and now it doesn’t appear to have any energy in it,” He replied. “I’m trapped here…”  
  
“Hey, don’t say that yet,” The blue hedgehog nudged his younger counterpart. “Why don’t we take it to Mobotropolis? I’ll ask Tails to have a look at it, maybe he can work out what’s happened to it. We might be able to get it working again.”  
  
“Well… I suppose it can’t hurt,” He sighed.   
  
“Alright… let’s get going, then,” Sally nodded.  
  
“Guess the scenic route’s going to have to wait, Sal,” Sonic shrugged.  
  
“If you have plans, I can wait,” Silver cut in. “When it comes to time travel, well… it doesn’t matter when we start, as long as we finish at the right point. Besides, I have my own leads to follow up on. I’ll come and find you guys when I’m done with that.”  
  
“If you’re sure, Silver,” The princess looked over at him. “We’d be quite happy to help.”  
  
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” He shook his head, walking toward the door. “It was good to see you all again. Catch you later.”  
  
  
As Silver stepped outside, he frowned. He had a few ideas about the cause of his problem, but he wagered that the best way to get answers was to go to the source,  or at least, the would-be source, of the Time Stone.   
  
Rising from the ground, he flew off, heading for the Casino Night Zone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then I was done with anything Council of Acorn-related forever.
> 
> Also I gave a robot a terminal disease. 
> 
> In two weeks time I'm going to be posting the next arc, which is the point where everything kicks into high gear. Hope you enjoy.

**Author's Note:**

> And we're back, currently on a fortnightly schedule.


End file.
